Attachment for locomotives.



PATENTED NOV. 6

J. MINTURNQ ATTACHMENT FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

APPLICATION FILED 1'33. 1. 1905.

, INVENTOR Jbfin mz'niurn ATTORNEYS My invention relates to a new and useful improvement in attachments for locomo" 10- grades it is often necessary to apply sand to I the tracks'in order to prevent t requiring :but little attention and one in 4 To it may concern.-

Iml- ED SW- PATENT OFFICE.

"JQHN'IMINTURN, 0a GROGAN. OHIO. AssieNoR ,QOF'ONE-THIRD To ARTE ' OF. COLUMBUS, onio.

' .Be itknownthat'l, JOHN MINTURN, :1 Chil zen of the'U'nited States, residingat Grogan,

.in, the county of'Franklin andState of Ohio,

' have invented certain new and-useful Improvementsin Attachments for Locomotives, *of'which the following is a specification.-

tives.

It is a well-known fact that in ascending e drivingwheels of the locomotive from slipping. It has also been found that the sand placed upon the track causes the train to drag and increases the load, thus diminishing the power of the locomotive and often making it necessary to use two or more locomotives for pulling a heavy train up a grade.

It is therefore the object of my invention 'toprovide suitable means for removing the sand from'the rails after the rear ClIl"1I1gwheels have'passed over the same.

' It is also the object of the invention to force the sand away from the rails and to each side-of the track and to provide means which the wear and tear is reduced to a minimum. 1

Finally, the object of the invention is to provide a device of the character described -that will be strong, durable and ei'licient,

' and one which will be comparatively simple .and inexpensive to produce and apply.

' With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of the novel details of L construction and operation, a preferable embodiment of which 1s described in the specification and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinjFigure 1 1s a partial side elevation of the rear portion of a locomotive, showing a part 5" i of one of the nozzles.

of the cab broken awa' to illustrate-the invention 'Fig. 2 is; a p an view of the parts shown in Fig. 1'. Fig. 3 is a transverse verticalsectional view taken on the line a: a; of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional-view taken on the line 4 y of Fig. 3 and showing the rail in plan, an ig. 5 is a vertical sectional view i In the drawings the numeral 1 designates a continuous tube or pipe curved around the UR C. GERIIACH AND ONE-THIRD TO J AMES' G. NICHOLSON,

- sue drivers 7 have passed over the same.

Armor ma ler FOR Locomor vzslj Patented Kev. 6, i906.

rearportion of boiler? and securelyiheld osition thereon b any'suitable means, as hangers 3. ends 4 extending downward close to thefire+ "b01 05 and su ported therefrom by suitable hangers 6. 1 as shown-in Fig. 3, so as to stand betweenthe rails, and are also curved rearwardly, as, shown in Fig. 1, and thus occupy a position F to therear of the rear. driving-wheels 7 The e lowerends4 are bent inward,

extreme lower ends. ofthe lower portions 4 of the pipe 1 are'preferably screw-threaded, as shownv in Fig. 5, so as to receive the vertical portion 8 of the nozzle 9. The nozzle 9 comprises a mouth portion 10, extending downwardly at an obtuse angle from the vertical ortion 8 and formed with a contracted open-' mg 1 1 so as todeliver a fluid in a fine sheet or spray. A nozzle 9 is secured upon the lower end of each portion 4 of the pipe 1 ,whichportions terminate some distance above the rails,

so that the nozzles may be disposed a sufficient distance above the tread of the rail as to direct the fluid thereon and blowthe sand off the tread. The nozzles '9, being arranged between the rails, as shown in Fig. 3, and pointin in opposite direetions, are set at an angle, so as to deliver the fluid forwardly and diagonally across the tread ofthe rail.

Any suitable fluid under pressure, such as steamer air, may be used, and I have shown the pipe 1 at its upperi end provided with a T- coupling 12, which isconnected to a steamsupply pipe 13, provided with a suitable valve 14. Dry steam may be taken from any suitable point to the supply-pipe 13 and delivered to the pipe 1, through which it will pass downward to the lower portions 4 and out of the o enings 11, of the nozzles 9. It is obvious't iat' the steam will be ejected from the nozzles '9 with considerable force and, blowing diagonally across the tread of the .rails, will clear the sand therefrom after the rear- Dry ste 111' being used, there is'no chance of the wa ers 3f condensation freezing on the rails.

u of steam compressed alr'may be ro'o In li used, andfor this purpose I have provided in the pipe 1 a second T- coupling 15, from whic extends a supply ipe 16, also. pro

vided with a valve 17. f course it is to be understood that when compressed air'is .be- 165 ing used the valve 14 of the steam-supply he pipe -1 has its fre pipe 13 is turned'to' cut off the supply of steam, and, vice versa, when steam is being. i used the valve 47 of the air-supply pipe 16 is turned to cut ofl the air.

It is to be understood that my invention is not to be limited to the exact construction shown, as the steam or'air' may he directed on the treads oithe rails in any suitable man -ner, and the construction herein set forth is merely a practical illustration.

The operation, briefly, .is as follows:

. of the rails, gs

Either air or. steam, being delivered to the Pipe ii oashereinhefore described, passes to and t ugh the lower portions 4 tothe noz.- zleehg from whichit is directed at an angle downwardly v d diagonally across the treads Blowing off the sand, which as is" obvious, ,asheen delivered in front oi drivers. By such an arrangement '6 drivers are given purchase on the rails and. are prevente the sandl-is bIown from the rails lmmediatel the tender and the train, thus from slipping, whil after the rear drivers pass over that portion of the rails containing the same, and clear and clean rails are presented to the wheels of decreasing the load and preventing draggin Having now fully describe my invention,

what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a rail-cleaning device, the combination with a locomotive, of a pair of nozzles located between the rails and directed at an angle thereto, a sin 1e continuous. pipe extending from one noz e to the other over and about each side of the boiler, :11 fluid-supply pipe 

